volunteering

For the past several years, PALCS 4th and 5th grade teachers and students have participated in a day of service at the Cradles to Crayons facility in Philadelphia.Cradles for Crayons is a non-profit organization that collects donations of essential items for children such as winter boots and coats, clothing, books, craft supplies, and toys.

Each year, the students and teachers at PALCS work a shift in The Giving Factory Warehouse, where they participate in hands-on processing of the donated goods that flow in on a regular basis.
“We present [the students] with a task to volunteer themselves, work for a non-profit organization, to maybe step outside of their comfort zone”, Mr. Cooper (4th Grade teacher) explains.

“Philadelphia is consistently ranked either 1st or 2nd for poorest city in the country, so that is where Cradles for Crayons steps in,” an employee tells PALCS students before putting them to work. Each station in the warehouse includes inspecting, sorting, and packaging donations to ultimately be distributed to the children served.
Students were trained on what they should be looking for when it comes to quality and also appropriateness for children. Donations that are in good shape, or close to new, could make a child feel happy or comfortable, rather than something that looks overly used or incomplete.
“The Cradles to Crayons Project here at PALCS, is an opportunity that we try and give the students, to give back to the community,” says Mr. Cooper. “For some it is an eye-opening experience – but for everyone it is a fun experience.”

Cradles to Crayons is “driven by a focused and all-important goal: to make life better for children in need.” In order to reach this goal, a “wide variety of individuals and groups […]

Julia Zane, PALCS student and up-and-coming country singer, has been keeping very busy this summer with weekly performances around the tri-states area. She is even hosting her very first Open Mic Benefit, raising funds for the American Diabetes Association (ADA) on Saturday, July 22nd from 3 pm - 7 pm at the Red Iron Pub in the Crimson Lounge located in Springfield, PA.

Our students here at PALCS amaze us every day, with their dedication, motivation and compassion. Danielle Guth, PALCS 12th grader, is a prime example. As Danielle’s senior year is winding down, there seems to be no slowdown in sight for this bright young woman who be attending Immaculata University next fall.

It truly is the “season of giving,” which is why for the 6th year in a row, members of PALCS staff have sponsored children in need for a Christmas gift drive called the "Angel Tree" for the Delaware Valley Children's Charity (DVCC). 16 PALCS teachers took on sponsorships this year. 3 of those teachers coordinated donations for entire departments within the school. Members of the Guidance Department, Student Services Department, and Child Accounting Department have all sponsored one or more children as a team.

On the weekend of December 19th, the CPFA High School Chorale participated in an outreach opportunity called Caroling For Canned Goods. They sang in the West Chester community and collected approximately 80 lbs worth of nonperishable food and canned goods. Donations will be made to the West Chester Food Bank.

Two PALCS brothers from Harrisburg have created successful community service projects for PA Leadership’s annual Martin Luther King Day of Service.
Ben Byler, 11th grader at PA Leadership Charter School, organized a drive to collect jeans for homeless teenagers. Ben was able to collect over 136 blue jeans from all over the state. Ben encouraged other students to place bins in their towns all over the Commonwealth to collect jeans for the drive. The jeans were then delivered to local Aeropostale stores for distribution to the homeless.